


15

by orphan_account



Series: Tumblr Prompts [15]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-08
Updated: 2012-10-08
Packaged: 2017-11-15 22:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous asked: Even though it was totally Raphael who was the big brother in the story, I'm in the mood for some Gabriel, so: "Don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish." Millennia later Castiel looks up at his big brother again, only this time he's in a freakishly colorful motel room with duct tape over his mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	15

It took him by surprise. There weren’t many creatures that could overpower him so easily, even in his current state, cut off from the Host. It was even less likely that one of the creatures Sam and Dean dealt with on a day to day basis would be one of these that could beat him.

And yet, here Castiel is, fighting against strange TV characters and cartoons and other odd beings. They’re not strong, easily defeated, but there are many of them, and sometimes they land a blow. Castiel is vastly outnumbered, but he manages to escape them and find Sam and Dean again.

They are no longer in the strange blue room with the overly-enthusiastic Asian people and the flashing colored lights. Instead, they’re in a vibrantly green wall-papered room, and the world seems to be colored differently, brighter and happier, some kind of surreal parallel world. Fake laughter repeats out of thin air, surrounding them.

This world is strange, different, so intricate that it would take something immensely powerful to create something like it. Castiel’s starting to figure out what it is exactly, but he can’t be sure, doesn’t know if he wants to be right.

It’s as he’s trying to explain it to Sam and Dean, tell them that this isn’t their usual Trickster, that this is something different, stronger, scarier, that he feels it. It’s vague, far away and intangible. It’s not what it’s supposed to feel like, just a shadow, as if it’s being hidden. Out of human compulsion, he latches onto that doubt, grips it tightly, denying to himself that there is any possibility that it’s true. He doesn’t want it to be true.

It’s when he’s thrown against a wall that he starts to doubt his doubt. Castiel can’t scream, can’t ask, can’t demand he show himself and face him like the coward he is, because there’s some simple silver duct tape over his mouth. He tries to use his powers to peel it off, as if it were any regular kind of human tape, but it holds strong, sticking to his skin and refusing to let go.

It’s when the ‘Trickster’ saunters in, and that sensation hits Castiel. That sensation of familiarity, home, companionability, that you’re in the right place at the right time- the sense he gets when a brother is around. An angel. It’s still clouded, as if masked, drawn in tight into the other creature as if keeping it to himself, not wanting to show it to anyone else. A secret.

It’s when the ‘Trickster’ looks to him, says his name in a falsely cheery voice, an underlying note of bitterness to it, that Castiel sees him, and it’s like he feels his Grace _shudder_ inside him. A cascade of emotions- relief to see the brother he thought dead, anger towards him for running away in the first place, longing to run to him and be close to him as he once was.

_Gabriel._

The happiest of the archangels. The youngest, the most affected by the older brothers’ fighting. The one who preferred to spend his time with the younglings, the lowly seraphs, because he could teach them, he could help them, get away from Lucifer and Michael for a bit and just play with the little ones.

He took them to Earth, showed them mountaintops and grasslands and beaches. He taught them the way of life.

He can still hear Gabriel’s voice, light and sweet, but warning, full of meaning.  _‘Don’t step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish._ ’

And that fish had given birth to new fish, who gave birth to new fish, who gave birth to new fish, and after millennia, that fish’s offspring evolved into a huge, carnivorous, reptilian beast. This ‘dinosaur’ as it is now known, evolved into what humans now call the chicken. Most of the world’s population rely on chickens for nourishment. Imagine if Castiel had stepped on that fish, killed it, broken that chain. What would humans feed off today? How would the world be different?

Gabriel had known. Gabriel had been wise. Beautiful. Kind. Awe-inspiring.

And then he had  _fled._

Run away like a coward, tail between his legs. The Host sang their grief, the angels mourned his loss, Castiel felt pain for the first time.

And here he was now, harassing his friends, and the look he gave Castiel was one full of pain and resentment where once there had been fondness and love.

With just a flick of his wrist, Castiel was gone again, stuck in a cartoon world with ridiculous creatures coming after him.

He slashed away at them with a newfound aggression, his fury and hurt leaking out of him, making him fiercer. The little imaginary creatures didn’t stand a chance against his angelic wrath.

“Gabriel,  _you son of a bitch!_ ” Castiel cried, hoping his brother could hear him, wherever he was. “ _Coward! Traitor! Deserter!_ ”

The creatures stopped coming, stopped attacking. They vanished into thin air and Castiel was left alone.

He crumpled, fell to his knees, and wailed. His true voice broke out through Jimmy’s, betraying his pain.

Lucifer had been struck down from Heaven and transformed into something horrible, unrecognizable and evil.

Anael had left Heaven and was now suffering horrible punishments for it, no doubt. Castiel doubted she resembled anything of the sister he once knew.

Gabriel…Gabriel had left Heaven. And in that one look before he had sent Castiel away, he had seen the hurt in Gabriel’s eyes, and he knew Gabriel had felt the same thing. Love at seeing his brother again, pain at not being able to be with him.

Castiel wailed again, his Grace trembling with grief.

Only one other angel had left Heaven after those three.

He knew what awaited him now. It was nothing but suffering from here on out.


End file.
